Do You Know Why Children Tell Lies? See 7 Reasons Why (Part One)

By Matthew Imerhion

Did you know research shows that about 96% of all children tell lies frequently at home? Don’t be quick to think your child’s the worst of the lot or absolve him of this wrongdoing.

Dr. Marie Hartwell-Walker, an author, a licensed psychologist, and marriage & family counselor points out in an article titled, ‘When A Child Lies’ that between 5 to 10 years of age, kids understand what it means to lie. Let’s see some reasons kids lie and thereafter, how to save the situation.

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1. Pure Hearts Tell White Lies
What is a white lie? A white lie is a well meaning lie, not meant to maliciously deceive but either to please the hearer, save them some worry or even to protect a parent or friend.
“No, dad, the shirt doesn’t make you look like a sausage,” is an example of a lie told from a pure heart. Instead of making that slide, teach them to find less hurtful ways of saying the truth like, “The shirt is fine, but I think the blue one fits better.”
It is also important that your child feels confident enough to voice his opinion so you must address these harmless little lies. According to Austin O’Malley, “those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow colour blind.”

2. It’s Fear, Not The Devil
Your child may be lying because she has broken one of your many rules and regulations. She has judged herself guilty and wants to escape the consequences. I know this is the wrong thing to do; if you do the crime, you have to do the time, yeah? Understanding that she lied because she knows she did something wrong can help you tackle both felony and false reporting. Fear of the consequences is one major reason kids lie.

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3. Slip Of Tongue
Hasn’t it happened to you? You didn’t mean to lie. Maybe you forgot that you did the ‘do’ but remembered only after you denied it. You tried to apply the brakes, reverse and turn right into Honesty Avenue but the brakes wouldn’t work, so you stepped on the accelerator instead. You tell another lie to support your slip-of-the-tongue/memory lie. It happens with these kids too sometimes.